Moreau FYE as a Guide to Life

The Revised and Expanded Mission Statement (Moreau FYE Week 13)
	My mission, above all else, is to learn. At the core of my goals is that singular concept. My aspirations to be a doctor, my interests in leadership, my own introspection and my wildest dream of becoming a bodybuilder all include it. Ironically, the way I find myself curious in each is different. For example, I ask a ton of “why” questions in medicine, but I refuse to ask those same questions in introspection - “Why questions stir up negative emotions; what questions keep us curious,” (“The right way to be introspective” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week 6). This difference in attaining knowledge is something learned through error - more on that later. Learning is something that I do in class, out of class, at work, in my free time, with friends, and every other situation that I find myself in, and I would not have it any other way. One of my distinctive goals in this mission is to additionally share this learned knowledge with others; whether it be as a doctor or as a Sunday school teacher. 
	The onset of new knowledge requires me to constantly search and try out ideas that may fail . I see this short-term failure as a long-term success: I do not want to die with the possibility that some idea that I had could have become something bigger. I would rather fail and find success through it, than never try and live a content, yet boring life. I found through this course that I share the same mindset as Father Hesburgh, who is quoted as saying “I decided if I was going to be President, I was going to shake things up,” (“Hesburgh” produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). Trying new things is something that I never grow tired of, and I find my mind wandering to new hobbies and experiences frequently. Thus, my personality shapes my mission as well, since it draws me towards the knowledge that I so seek. 
	I also pride myself on knowing my own limits. As I take on new roles, new subjects, or new people in my life, I always know when and where to stop. This does not cease my learning, as I used to think, but instead allows me to adjust and learn at the optimum level for all of the new concepts. Although I tend to overload myself with roles due to my love of involvement in order  to meet people and learn new skills (Keenan Senator, Spirit Commissioner, and B+ Captain), I still know how to balance it all. One of my favorite activities that I did this semester to engage with others and learn new perspectives was the event “Back the Bend.” It demonstrated to me the term we learned in class - “Accompaniment.” Quoting directly from Professor Steve Reifenberg, “To accompany is to help the person take their own destiny in their hands and allow that their voice is heard,” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg - Moreau FYE Week 9). In this event, I helped a farm that gives back to the local community at free or reduced costs to prepare for the summer growing season. The outcome was amazing - we performed a whole month of work in 4 hours! Their sincere gratitude and honest personalities gave me a lot of insight into my own personality and made me a lot more thankful for my things than I already was. It also reinforced a quote from this semester - “Bridging the gulf of moral judgment and replacing it with kinship is tricky indeed” - since we were working in what was called “a bad area of town” (“Tattoos on the Heart” by Fr Greg Boyle - Moreau FYE Week 7). However, the people were lovely! The stereotype that poor neighborhoods contain strictly criminals is a harmful and irrational one that must be put to rest. If we extend the hand of kinship, we remove the barrier of violence. 
Going to a university with such a compassionate student body, however, one thing I do keep in mind is this: the aim is always to enjoy the act of learning, not burden myself with it. An idea I always keep in mind is this: someone can love water so much that they can drown. I should not overburden with cool and unique opportunities because there are far too many for one person. I was born a student, and I intend on being one for the rest of my waking years.

The Application
	I truly mean it when I say that my mission statement came from the heart. I want to learn as much as I can during my finite time on earth because it fulfills me. When I was much younger, like many Notre Dame students, learning was easy. However, coming to college, I’ve learned that I am not naturally good at certain subjects (shoutout to Philosophy). This does not stop me, however, as I discussed: I use failure as motivation to move forward. If I feared failure, I could never participate in my favorite quote from this semester: “Just get out and experience life!” (“Navigating your career journey” by Merulo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4). This determination to experience life is something that others have noticed around me as well. In my clubs, classes, and friend groups, I always find myself as the one people go to when they need help either in the subject or in finding motivation. I’m even a personal trainer, where one of the main job requirements is being able to motivate others. My mom put it well, when she said this about me: “At home, I’ve seen that success drives you and when you get challenged you become determined to exceed the challenge until you are satisfied,” (Interview with my Mom - Moreau FYE Week 5). 
The knowledge I seek is not surface level, however. When many people seek knowledge, they become “encyclopedias” of sorts with random facts and no understanding. This was briefly discussed in a podcast this semester, when the commentators said, “They’re not trying to empower…they’re really just learning to engage in a frivolous way,” (“Passion isn’t Enough” by Hidden Brain Media - Moreau FYE Week 11). The people they are discussing are the general Americans in politics who simply just learn a few facts and try to engage in discussion, which only leads to issues due to a lack of understanding on both sides. I do not seek to know everything, as I instead seek to know everything that I find interesting or useful, and I believe that everyone should do this in order to determine their future career. One issue I find, however, is that I tend to utilize technology more than others around me for knowledge. This can lead to a depersonalization of information and can make me forget that other people, especially those at Notre Dame, have dedicated their lives to their interest and are much more knowledgeable than an online discussion. The quote that made me realize this occurred this semester was, “I continue to keep the cornucopia of technology at arm’s length…so that I can more easily remember who I am,” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). Absorbing social media instead of spending time with family and friends is no way to go through life, and it is definitely not a way to find oneself. I truly believe that although we have more information at our fingertips, we are losing the information accessible about outside things and ourselves as we continue to improve technologically. This is why I try to limit my social media consumption, as I tend to forget who I really am and sometimes regret the things I do on there because they do not reflect me as a person. 
	My catholicism factors heavily into the last portion of my mission statement, which is about acceptance and breaking barriers. This is not due to my religion per se, but rather how my religion has inspired me to believe in the need to befriend all backgrounds of people. One quote from this semester that demonstrates this idea was “God doesn’t make shit,” (“Growing up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh - Moreau FYE Week 10). This quote was said by a priest, which makes it an even better quote, but it also demonstrates a key idea that all Catholics should hold: everyone is in God’s plan. God loves us all, no matter our mistakes, and we need to demonstrate that we want to be loved by him because we love him too. He will show his love to anyone, that's the central Christian belief. Another, albeit less vulgar, quote demonstrating how my Catholic belief factors into acceptance is “As disciples of Jesus we stand side by side with all people,” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” by Congregation of the Holy Cross - Moreau FYE Week 12). This, more straightforward line, meant a lot to me because it was said by the University itself. I just really get proud seeing this stuff in the college’s statements, even if not everyone abides by it. The Catholic teachings of this University cannot be disputed, however, as being of inclusivity. Above nothing else, Notre Dame’s stance on inclusivity is one of embracing all people. It is a community that I can be proud that I am engaged in, and it is a community that furthers my own missions. 
	I want to end this final integration by reflecting on the third integration (Week 8). The topic was strange - a eulogy - and at the time I did not understand why we did that. I wrote about messages that I wanted to leave behind (self-reflection, connections, and curiosity) - if I were to die - and I think that I started to understand the assignment as I finished. After finishing the semester, however, I got it: we needed to reflect on the end goal to realize our current means to achieve it. If we want to write a good eulogy, and leave behind inspiring messages, we need to be able to find the way to get there. That idea concurs with something that I mentioned prior to this section: I want to explore life in this finite lifespan that I have been granted. I want to go out and explore. I want to learn. 
There is only one quote that I could possibly end this integration on, and it truly did speak to me the week we had it in class. In addition, death is a really polarizing subject that I believe should not be. I feel like a lot of people cannot talk about death due to feeling unfinished in life, but instead I find death to be a reminder to feel fulfilled every day that you live. After all, all we can do is:
“Memento mori”[footnoteRef:0] [0:  (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by the New York Times - Moreau FYE Week 3)]